Tucson’s first coordinated advocacy center for abuse survivors celebrates grand opening

For survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and elder abuse in Tucson and across Pima County, getting help may no longer require navigating a maze of separate offices, interviews and appointments. The Pima Family Advocacy Center, at 2530 E. Broadway Blvd., has officially opened as the region’s first coordinated advocacy center for adults and families. The facility brings legal assistance, law enforcement interviews, health care connections and other support services together in one location, with the goal of making the process less confusing and less traumatic for people seeking safety.

The center marked its grand opening Friday, Aug. 14, after nearly a decade of planning among advocates, law enforcement officials, health care professionals and other community partners. Pima Family Advocacy Center Program Director Kaitlyn Norris said the central idea is straightforward: survivors should be able to go to one place instead of repeatedly explaining what happened at different agencies. The nonprofit had a soft launch in June and has already received a steady flow of referrals from community organizations and people sharing information by word of mouth.

Pima County has long operated a children’s advocacy center, but the new facility is the first in the region built around a similar coordinated model for adults and families. Its approach draws on advocacy centers in Maricopa County and the national Alliance for Hope framework. Rather than functioning as a single government agency, the Pima Family Advocacy Center serves as a collaborative hub. Staff and representatives from participating organizations work alongside one another while maintaining their separate roles and responsibilities.

The project was led in part by Executive Director Joseph Ricks, who began promoting the idea while working as an attorney in the Pima County Attorney’s Office. Over the years, he helped assemble a multidisciplinary board that included people involved in victim advocacy, prosecution, defense, government and health care. The effort required the partners to agree on funding, find a suitable building and coordinate the policies of multiple organizations. A federal grant ultimately enabled the nonprofit to secure the Broadway location and complete formal agreements with partner agencies.

That long development process reflects the practical difficulty of building a single access point for services that are usually spread across different systems. Survivors may need help with immediate safety, medical care, legal questions, evidence collection, housing or financial concerns, but they may not be ready to pursue every option at once. At the center, advocates work at each client’s pace. That can include helping someone explore options even when the person is not prepared to seek an order of protection or make a formal report.

Norris said the center is also intended to challenge assumptions about why people remain in abusive relationships. Questions about why someone did not leave often overlook financial dependence, children and coercive control, she said. Those circumstances can limit a survivor’s choices and make leaving dangerous or difficult. By focusing on the actions of the abuser rather than blaming the survivor, the center’s staff aim to help clients regain a sense of control. Norris said survivors are the experts on their own lives and should decide what steps feel right as they seek safety.

The grand opening also launched fundraising for the center’s next major goal, an on-site medical forensic suite. In many cases, rape kit examinations are conducted in conventional hospital settings. Norris said those environments can feel intimidating or retraumatizing for survivors. A private suite at the advocacy center would provide forensic examinations in a setting designed around trauma-informed care, while keeping the service connected to the other support options available in the building. Ricks said access to these services can be important in helping survivors leave abusive relationships and maintain the power needed to move forward.

The opening ceremony included a blessing from Mary Garcia, a traditional healer from the Tohono O’odham Nation. The center is also accepting clothing donations for clients, especially professional clothing and attire suitable for court appearances. For people currently experiencing domestic violence, Norris recommends contacting a trusted person, such as a neighbor, or reaching out to a local service agency or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233. She encouraged survivors to choose the steps that feel safest for their circumstances, emphasizing that support is available even when they are not ready to make every decision at once.